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' NECK YOKE. Nofzsmse. Patente-dN0 .'27,1883

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSHUA W. HARRIS, OF VVAYNESBOROUGH, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO T. W.LAMBERT, OF GREENVILLE, VIRGINIA.

NECK-YOKE' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 289,256,dated November 27, 1883.

Application filed March 14, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, J OSHUA W. HARRIS, acitizen of the United States, residing at Waynesborough, in the countyof Augusta and State of Virginia, have invented a new and ImprovedNeck-Yoke, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of neckyokes used with doubleteams tosupport and guide the team-pole; and it has for its object to providemeans whereby a yoke of the required strength may be made lighter and ofa smaller piece of lumber, and at the same time be ornamental andconvenient for applying the central strap.

To this end my invention consists inthe construction and combination ofparts forming a neck-yoke, hereinafter fully described and claimed,reference being had to the-accompany ing drawings, in which Figure 1 isa plan view of my neck-yoke; and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal horizontalsection of the same, having one of the bands and the pole-strap removed.

A represents the body of the yoke, made of wood, the largest part beingat the center inside of the strap B, from which it tapers each way tothe ends. It is made without a shoulder or notch anywhere, and maytherefore be very light, having no cuts across its grain to start abreak. In lieu of the usual groove turned around the middle to receivethe polestrap, I provide two metallic collars, O O, which are driven onat the ends, becoming wedged very firmly as they reach their seats, thusserving as strong bands for the wood, keeping the grain so close thatthe very greatest capacity of the wood may be utilized. The collars maybe turned and silver-plated, or ornamented in any style of artisticfinish, or they may be merely japanned to correspond with a carriage orharness of black finish. Another advantage of this neck-yoke is, thatafter one collar is in place the strap may be finished, thus enablingbetter work to be done, and yet to be done cheaper, as the straps may befinished in quantities in the harness-shop, whereas formerly, when thecenter of the yoke was turned down to admit the strap, said strap had tobe placed around the turned neck and afterward sewed together. Now oneof the collars will be placed, on the yoke after the strap is, and bothcollars will besecured in place by small wood-screws passing throughthem into the yoke.

I am aware that a neck-yoke provided with two metallic rings near itscenter, connected by bars of suitable length, forming the two jaws of aclasp, between which the leather holdback is inserted in such amannerthat the loop of the same is between the two cut metallic rings, thejaws of the clasp being tightened by screws passing through holes inlugs at the ends of the cut rings,is old, and Itherefore lay no claim tosuch invention. In my invention I use,in lieu of out rings,collarsdriven on each end of the neck-yoke, and secured near its center byscrews, and dispense with the clasp of the invention disclaimed, thusforming a different and much cheaper construction than that disclaimed.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, isp The combination, with the neck-yoke A, tapering from the center toeach end, of the strap B, provided with a. loop slipped on one end ofthe yoke to its center, and collars G, driven upon the ends of theneck-yoke, and detachably secured to the yoke by screws passing throughthe collars into the neckyoke on opposite sides of the loop of thestrap, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

JOSHUA W. HARRIS.

Witnesses:

, JAMES CHATER WI TON,

JAMES SAMUEL BRANNON.

placed on from the other end after being fully

